


Together Again

by JasnNCarly



Series: Jason and Carly's World [24]
Category: General Hospital
Genre: F/M, jarly, old wip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 1998-12-01
Updated: 1998-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 17:34:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23607127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JasnNCarly/pseuds/JasnNCarly
Summary: Co-parenting is its own huge complication.
Relationships: Carly Benson/Jason Morgan
Series: Jason and Carly's World [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1427638





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a very long time ago and, at that time, 2011 was a ways off in the future. With that in mind, I want to give some context for this story. AJ and Carly have shared custody of Michael. The Quartermaine family loathes Carly and what she's done; they often try to find ways to get rid of her. Carly lives on her own and tries to get along with AJ. Michael, who is 12, longs for his mom and dad to get together; obviously, they cannot stop fighting. Michael loves Jason but feels loyal to AJ. Jason is beyond conflicted having lost Carly, Michael, and Robin.

"Just be careful, okay?"

"I always am."

With that, Jason was done with the call; it left her feeling the same as she often did - like he was done with her too. 

It had been that way with every phone call for years, ever since she ended up in her home, alone. As part of the custody agreement with AJ, she was to 'clear up confusion' in Michael's world. There was no penthouse anymore, just a small two-bedroom home for her and Michael. 

It was painfully normal; she was back at General Hospital. Michael spent half his time with her, half his time at the Quartermaine mansion. She often worried her growing teen would come home to her and ask to spend more time with dad; who wanted to be a prince one day and a peasant the next?

Carly let out a sharp laugh at her own thought, taking a seat on her sofa and staring at the phone. She would give anything to be back at the penthouse, to still be parenting with Jason; hell, she would even be happier with Robin alive.

Robin's death several years ago, after the courtroom battle with AJ, had took the last bit of humanity from her best friend; Jason lost himself once more in work for Sonny. Carly was lucky to get a call at all, so she tried to remain thankful. 

The car lights moving through the dimly lit living room prompted her to smile and open the door for her son was already on the other side, "Hi, sweetie."

Michael smiled up at her, his strawberry blond hair moonlit, "Mom, I had so much fun."

"I bet you did." She pulled her son in for a hug, laughing as he groaned at her sprinkled kisses on the top of his head. AJ gave her his best version of a smile, hinting something between awkward and forced; she attempted to return the favor, "Thank you for dropping him off. 

"Of course." He frowned after a beat, cautious, "You okay?"

Michael pulled back, forcing Carly to smile wider, "I'm fine, really." She did her best to lie, though she were out of practice, "Michael, why don't you go get washed up for dinner. It's a little late," _Hint, AJ,_ "but we can still enjoy it."

"Could dad stay and eat with us?"

_Damn it, Michael._ Carly cleared her throat, a little nervous, "Well, I--"

"It's okay, Michael. I have plans, buddy." AJ ruffled his hair a little, signaling for a goodbye hug, "We'll get pizza this weekend, all right?"

Michael mumbled an agreement before rushing his things to his room, including a bag Carly was afraid to investigate. When he was out of earshot, she groaned, "How expensive was whatever that is?"

"Well, as his father, I just want to remind him that he should never want for anything." AJ could sense her discomfort at his proclamation, admitting, "I suppose I try too hard sometimes, but can you blame me?"

Carly took a moment before quietly agreeing, "No, I guess not." Pride swelled her next words, "Michael is an amazing kid."

"That he is." AJ signaled for him to join her outside for a minute; when she did, he had to try again, "You look like you got something on your mind."

"You don't wanna know, AJ."

"I might."

"Look, we've tried the whole friend thing. We suck at it." 

AJ released a long breath, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Jason, right?" Without her answer, he gave a nod, "Say no more. Just--have a goodnight, okay?"

"I'll try." Carly waited for him to start to the car before heading back inside to hear Michael talk about his weekend.

~*~

_"Just stop, Carly! You hated Robin!"_

_"Yes, I did, but--"_

_"So don't tell me you're sorry right now! You got what you wanted because, in the end, I hated her too!"_

_"Jase, that's not what I wanted. I--" _

_"Just get the hell out of here!"_

The incessant knock on her living room door pulled Carly out of her half sleep on the couch. With a groan at her stiff neck, she found her way to her feet and slowly to the door. With a quick peek through the peephole on her front door, she gasped and threw the door open, "Jason!"

He gave a small grin, signaling for her to be quiet, and spoke in a hushed tone, "Is Michael asleep?"

Carly glanced at the nearest clock, _2 am_, then gave a small nod. After the confirmation, she stepped outside the door to speak with him; she could not think of a word as she was beyond relieved to see him.

"I tried to call."

_Shit. _She had turned off the ringer during dinner and never turned it back on.

"I wanted you to know I was okay."

Rather than say 'thank you' as she had done a thousand times before; she threw her arms around him and squeezed tight. It was too much to have him so constantly on her mind and so far away; hearing his quiet chuckle, she could feel the pang of rejection for her affection. Wounded, she loosened her grip and slowly back away. 

She was sick of this dance. It no longer felt worth it, him giving her just enough to hold on. Carly's feeling must have been evident, her smile must have appeared too forced, because when she tried to make a graceful exit - he stopped her.

Jason did not say much, but his lips touched hers and - as result - she heard every word she ever wanted to hear from him.

~*~

A kiss was enough for Carly to build a world of hope when it came to Jason; that worked in Jason's favor since he gave her nothing more than a "goodnight" before he left.

Carly got ready for the next day, completely energized, as she wondered how soon she could approach Jason for more. If nothing else, she had learned patience in dealing with Jason - a little more time would not kill her.

When a knock interrupted her checking her phone for a fifth time, she flung it open in hopes that Jason had finally gotten impatient with her.

To her disappointment, it was not him; even worse, it was his sister who had never been her biggest fan.

"Emily, what's up?" Carly's question received an unexpected response when Emily embraced her, tears falling before a hello. Confused, she reacted instinctively and hugged her tight, "What's going on? It can't be that bad."

"...AJ."

Everything after Emily got the words out became a blur to Carly; she had no idea how she got from her open living room door to the Quartermaines. She only knew she could not tell Michael alone. Among his entire family, Carly had to watch her son collapse at the news that his father was gone.

_"There was an emergency over seas with ELQ. AJ decided to fix it, boarded a plane for Europe...it never made it."_

_"No..."_

There was not any part of her mama bear heart that could fix this, caught somewhere between blinding rage and surprising shock; Carly had to leave the room, ending up in the rose garden as the family comforted Michael in his sobs.

She wanted to scream, wanted to sob, and all she could do was huff at the sky, "He finally gets used to you, we all do, and you die. Typical, AJ."

"Carly?"

His voice, quiet and understanding, was like a blanket in the cold; she turned to see Jason emerge from the shadows, weary of any Quartermaine. Carly wanted to run to him, sob against his chest, but her feet were cemented in uncertainty. Nothing about this felt real, especially last night.

Swallowing hard, Jason moved to occupy the space in front of her, "I heard about AJ."

"After all this time...after completely changing everything...he's gone. Just like that." Carly fought a shaky breath, crossing her arms and shaking her head, "Michael's whole world is destroyed all over again."

Jason's eyes misted at the mention of his boy, hanging his head, "I wanted to know if he was okay."

"No." Carly paused for a minute, touching his bicep and sighing, "Of course he's not...and I know your first thought was of him." She inhaled a breath, putting some distance between them, "I have no idea how I will ever make this okay for him. For any of us."


	2. Chapter 2

It made sense to leave everything on hold with Jason, so Carly did.

Her job was to get Michael through the day, to get him used to a new normal, to try to work with the Quartermaines for his benefit. Michael struggled with nightmares, even spending a few nights with her on the couch - talking about his father. Carly only wanted to make it okay for him, to the point where any excitement she had for a possible future with Jason had completely disappeared. 

"It's okay to be sad about your father, Michael. You loved him."

Michael's doe eyes found hers as he choked out, "I never thought I would lose him."

Carly could relate; when she thought of Virginia, she felt the exact same way. On the night of AJ's memorial, Carly had shared similar thoughts with Michael. She explained how she ached to speak with her mom but was thankful she knew how much her mother loved her; Carly may not know everything, but she felt AJ got over himself for their son. When Emily came over, asking for Michael to have a visit at the Quartermaine mansion, she did what Michael wanted: she let him go.

Sitting with the lights off, in her own living room, she stared at nothing as the radio played softly. It had been nearly two weeks, and she still had no idea how she felt about AJ. The night that Jason lashed out at her, venomous after Robin's death, AJ happened to be there; of all people, he reminded her that she was not all terrible. If she was, it would've been impossible for her to bring a child Michael into the world.

_"If either of us were as rotten as we thought we are, Michael would not exist...and he is the very best."_

Lifting her wine glass to her lips, she tried to drown out thoughts of him or anything else. 

No one in the world would think Carly could upset over AJ's death; the Port Charles opinion of her nearly matched with her own when it came to that. Instead of celebrating as she may have years ago, Carly was dumbfounded in the dark.

When her phone vibrated, she checked the number and darkened the screen again. Instead, she finished off the glass and poured another. 

The alcohol blurred her awareness, even as she opened the door to Jason's concerned expression. Saying nothing, glass still in her hand, she turned her back to him and started - what seemed like a long journey - back to her sofa. 

Hearing the door close, she poured a third glass and waited for him to occupy the space next to her before toasting the air, "To AJ."

Jason was clearly uncomfortable, questioning, "Should you do that...say that with Michael around?"

"He's with Emily and the Quartermaines tonight." She finished a gulp, coddling the glass in her hands, and stared forward, "I--he--we both needed a break from--this...sadness or--" Carly dragged a hair through her hair, shrugging, "Whatever this is." Extending the glass to him, she swore, "I didn't touch a sip of alcohol until tonight."

Jason tried to understand, frowning, "Why?"

"Because, _Jase_, I don't want to think about this." 

"About what?"

"About any of it! About AJ! ABOUT ME!" Carly snapped her wet lips together, using her free hand to strangle the air, "About how I messed everything up for so long, for everyone, and kept Michael in the dark. Any time I may have robbed from him, from AJ, from whatever kind of routine we got to by the end. I DON'T KNOW!"

"...I'll never regret the time we had with Michael." Jason's words caused Carly to release one, single desperate sob; offering his gentle and reassuring smile, he went on in his husky tone, "Being with you and him? It is the only life that felt real, that felt right."

Carly almost most bitterly asked about Robin; however, she bit her tongue (thanks to her wine) and waited for his eyes to find hers. She needed him to go on, to finally lead when she could not - to push when she collapsed.

"You're not like anyone else I've ever known, Carly. You are honorary and spiteful."

"Oooo, keep the compliments coming, Jase."

"You're defensive when you don't need to be or when anyone expects you to be."

"Perfect, you know I was being a smart ass, right? I really didn't want--"

"You love me and Michael with everything you are, more than I ever expected anyone to." His words sobered what little buzz she had going, causing her heart to rattle in her chest, "You are the most complicated woman I have ever met, and the craziest thing is I understand." Jason spoke so clearly, as though this time without her - with not a single answered phone call, made him reconsider her position in his life; Carly was pleased with herself, awaiting his next words, "I get you. I know why you do the things you do, why you think they are wrong and you fight so hard. I would never do the same, but..." They shared a laugh, "I get it."

There was a long, healthy, lengthy pause between them; Carly savored it, wanting to avoid screwing it up, wanting to drown in his kind words.

"...it's why I love you."

Carly eyes clamped shut, sure she had wrong. After all, being in love with Jason for so long, she had grown comfortable with doing it alone. Carly had no idea what to do if he loved her back. If he wanted a future with her, so she ran with reason. She was either drunk or asleep; Jason was not even there.

Everything would go wrong if he loved her, if she was happy; she could not afford that. Michael was miserable, and that meant her happiness was nonexistent. 

_My whole life is a disaster, and my son is paying for it._

"Carly..."Jason waited for her eyes to find his, "Say something."

Though she had a world of things to say, Carly remained silent as she hugged his arm to her chest and rested her head on his shoulder.

~*~

_"Do you love him, Mama?"_

_"I have been in love with him ever since we met, Michael. That's never changed."_

_"And he makes you happy?"_

_"Yes, very."_

Carly took her time to introduce Michael to the subject, avoiding too much alone time with Jason; it was his turn to be patient - to wait for her. Though she Michael was trying, she understood her son more now than ever. He said "okay" and awaited those nights where Jason might show up...it was clear Michael hated all the change. 

For that reason, Carly continued to maintain distance from Jason - despite knowing the truth: he was in love with her.


	3. Chapter 3

"I know about you and Jason."

Emily's announcement, as Michael gathered his overnight bag, caused Carly to face her with defiance, "What is it that you think you know? Because I assure you that there isn't much to know. At all."

Emily glanced at the corridor, checking for Michael, and kept her voice low, "I'm close with Jason, Carly. He's my brother."

"Then, you _know_, I haven't done anything wrong. In faaaact, I've done nothing at all." Carly did the same glance, clarifying, "I will not hurt Michael, no matter what I want."

"Even knowing my brother loves you, considering you're still in love with him too?" The young woman present a gentle grin, taking another step towards her, "I respect what you've done, Carly. I see how much you love my nephew, even if the rest of the family struggles."

_You haven't exactly been my cheerleader._ She kept the thought to herself, clearly questioning Emily with her stare.

"It's been over a month. You've told Michael that Jason is a part of your life. Yet, you continue to put distance between you for...?"

"It's complicated."

"It's not that complicated. Especially for Jason." They heard Michael's footsteps approaching; Emily squeezed Carly's bicep, whispering, "He needs to know you still love him. So--just tell him, please?"

Carly wanted to ask Emily where the prying was coming from; could Jason really be that worried about the two of them, about their relationship, after all this time?

~*~

In another lifetime, she had stood this uncertain at his door step; Jason was back to life at the penthouse, all alone, and here she was - wondering what she had done that he did not like, wondering if she could even apologize for attempting to do the right thing.

But there was no conversation once she crossed the threshold, even though she was so sure she would have a world of a conversation to engage in. 

Instead, it was like the no-name nights at Jakes; she was up in his arms, her clothes were gone, and his kisses consumed nearly all the breath in her lungs. They were doing things etched in her memory, and still it all felt brand new.

Her favorite part was that she got to stay in his bed, in his arms, even after the high had worn off and their breathing had returned to normal.

Was it worth the wait? Hell no, nothing was. Yet, she would have waited forever for him. 

Carly could not bring herself to look into his eyes, afraid to see regret or remorse. Her head rested on his bare chest, her fingertips sliding along his skin. If he kicked her out, asked for time, she told herself not to be mad. She had made him wait. She still didn't know what this meant. For these reasons, she waited for him to speak.

"I have business out of town."

_Great._ Carly mindlessly continued her action, refusing to react.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be."

_Just say it, Jase._ Carly stopped caressing him, bringing her lips to her mouth - sure she would have to muffle a scream soon.

"But when I get back," Jason stroked her hair, waiting for her to respond; when she lifted her head, he was almost stoic in his announcement, "I was thinking we could talk about getting married."

Carly's heart stopped, her eyes widening at his proclamation; there was no way in hell that could happen. Because, any moment now, she would wake up and realize this was a cruel dream.

His smile was small, sweet even, as he urged her, "That's a...?"

The thoughts were simultaneously screaming at each other in her mind: Jason's been alone so long that he is finally lonely. AJ's gone. Michael's not ready. There was no way they could ever have the life they almost had way back when. 

Carly sat up, turning her back on Jason as a result, and tried to clear her mind, do anything that would make her think like an adult.

It must have been a few minutes before he sat up beside her, his hand gentle in its touch along her spy; it would've been comforting if she did not feel so out of it.

"I didn't mean to..." Jason sounded nervous, something she was not used to, "we don't have to talk about this if you're not ready."

"How can you be ready?" Yes, that was the right thing to ask...or so she told herself. Carly licked her dry lips, searching the depths of his eyes, "Jason, how can you even be sure you love me?"

"I do love you." His quick response stole her breath; Jason had no idea what he could do to a woman with that look and those words.

"I love you, too." Carly almost sobbed when he seemed relieved by her proclamation, "But in what world could this ever work between us?"

Jason remained silent, unable to completely respond to her unease. 

It was bittersweet; everything she ever wanted, impossible timing. 

She covered his free hand with her own, "Bet, you never thought this would happen."

"I never thought you'd say no, if that's what you mean."

"I didn't say no."

"You didn't say yes either."

Carly hesitated, groaning, "Do you even have a ring?"

"What does a ring have to do with your answer?"

"What about getting down on your knee and proposing? What about that, huh? You didn't even do that."

"Is that what you want?"

She thought for a moment and shrugged, "It'd be nice."

"Fine."

Carly watched closely, the urge to giggle like school girl, as her perfectly sculpted man got off the bed to walk around to her side.

His nude form appreciated by her and the moonlight as he knelt down at her bed side, "So?"

Shaking her head negatively, Carly cupped his face and pulled him in for another kiss; she was determined to enjoy the night without worrying about tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Carly had a couple weeks to prepare Michael for the dinner with Jason; business had kept Jason away and gave her some grace as it came to the topic of marriage. 

She feared Jason was trying to get back something they never could, that pushing Michael to accept the relationship would push him further away. Michael had said he was happy for her, but how could he be? After all, he was her child - he must have expected the world to stop and acknowledge his pain. Carly almost cancelled their dinner until Michael approached her the morning of, asking if they could talk.

Sitting across the table from one another, Carly let him set the tone.

"...did you ever love my dad?"

How the hell was she supposed to answer that? How did she prevent herself from screwing up her kid? The truth was as dangerous as a lie. 

Carly took a deep breath and followed her gut, "No, but I should've."

Michael offered a half grin, sliding his cup of tea she made him drink - back and forth between his palms, "Because of me, right?"

"Yes, because you deserved to come into this world much more peaceful than you did." Carly took a sip, hoping it would calm her nerves; it didn't, "Michael, your dad and I were getting along before...and I'm grateful for that. We were great friends at one time."

"Like you and Jason?"

"...no, honey. Not like me and Jason." Carly leaned onto the table, being brutally honest, "I don't want to make you sad, Michael. Your happiness matters more than my own. If you told me that you wanted it to be just us right now...I would make that happen. Just...tell me what you need."

Michael took what seemed like an eternity before answering, "I don't want you to be alone...Jason just needs to know I come first."

Carly chuckled at his proclamation, assuring him with all certainty, "Jason happily agrees with that.

~*~

Jason gave Michael every allowance the boy pushed for, to the point where Carly got slightly irritate; it was one thing to let him choose pizza toppings, and it was another thing entirely to let him decide their activities for the night.

Michael pushed Jason in every way he could, being smug and hurtful – in ways he assumed no one noticed. Carly and Jason noticed everything, but Carly was skating on the thinnest of ice while Jason was just overjoyed to be with the two of them.

“I’m supposed to go to the Quartermaines tomorrow.” Michael handed his game controller to his mom, standing to his feet and announcing, “I should go to bed since they come here pretty early.”

“Understood,” Jason smiled, giving a small nod of agreement.

Michael tried to let go of the awkward, turning to Carly, “Love you, mama.”

“I love you, too, Michael.” Carly was relieved when he made no more show than that, heading to his room, “Goodnight, baby.”

Jason turned off the console, setting stuff aside and giving Michael a minute to be gone. He sat a little closer when he returned to the sofa, his eyes filled with an unspeakable joy.

Trying to be very present, she took a minute to breathe before speaking, “You did good with him today, despite his constant goading of you.”

“He’s not used to me anymore, Carly.” The comment hurt them both but was a truth they mutually understood, “I can wait. However long he needs.” Jason reached over, covering her hand with his, adding softly, “However long you need.”

“I don’t know what I need.”

“That’s okay.” Jason waited for her to relax a little before inquiring, “Do you want time to figure out what you want?”

“I know what I want, Jase.” Her free hand found and played with the short strands of his hair, “You. I love you.”

“…I’m glad to hear you say that.” He seemed to be taking mental pictures of her smile, then prodded further, “If you want me to forget next steps…”

_Here we go._ Carly felt slightly playful, challenging, “You didn’t even have a ring, Jase.”

He made a ‘that is not true face’ as he dug into his pocket; when he presented the small, velvet blue box, Jason teased, “I just didn’t show it to you.”

_Holy shit._ Carly’s jaw dropped as she stared at the box that she refused to touch.

“Now, did you mean no?” Jason started to become a blur through her tears, “Or were you ready to consider a yes?”

~*~

Several family dinners in, a gentle suggestion of dish washing, and Carly stood outside of her own kitchen, listening in on Michael and Jason.

Their initial silence was a reminder why she kept the engagement ring hidden; why she asked Jason for time to answer him one way or another.

Finally, shockingly, Michael broke the silence, “My dad told me about you.”

Jason’s tone was matter of fact, “Okay. And how much did he tell you?”

“Said you took care of mom when they couldn’t get along. He said he once scared my mom so bad that they stayed with you.” The water stopped, so did the dishes, “He said mom felt like saved by you…even said he owed you.”

“Owed me? For what?”

“Because without you, he never would’ve had me.”

Carly wiped away endless tears, giving a thankful prayer to AJ wherever he was in the afterlife. Hearing Michael’s explanation felt like a reason to hope, a reason to give Jason a ‘yes’.

Michael’s heavy sigh cut through the silence, cut through the calm, “But he was my dad. And now he’s dead. And nothing will make that okay for me.”


	5. Chapter 5

"So you heard that?" Jason asked as they strolled through the park, hand in hand.

They vaguely noticed a few looks towards them and guessed it was because of their past. But they finally had each other, and that was all that seemed to matter anymore.  
  
Carly replied, using her freehand to rub his upper arm, "At least he's talking, I mean it could be so much worse."  
  
Jason nodded in agreement.  
  
Carly stopped their walk and saw his confused look now take place of the disappointment playing on his face. She placed her hands on his face and, to his pleasant surprise, placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips. Carly gently stroked his cheeks with her thumbs while she pulled away to look into his eyes, "I'm gonna make this work. I promise you."  
  
"You don't have to do anything, Carly." Jason assured her as she looked into his eyes, "I've told you already, take all the time you need."  
  
They began walking again, a comfortable silence between them.  
  
Suddenly, a sneaky smile appeared on her face, "It's too bad I don’t have a longer lunch period, you know? I just read about this new position in Cosmo that would just blow your mind."  
  
Jason remained silent, wrapping his arm around her waist, and leading her back to his motorcycle, shaking his head with a knowing smile.  
  
~*~  
  
Just looking at her plate full of food made Carly want to sprint from the room. But she remained still, grabbing her fork and poking at the food.  
  
"What? You honestly believe I can't cook?" Bobbie watched Carly, noticing she would only look at the food disgusted rather than try one bite, "Come on, sweetie, it can't be _that_ bad."  
  
"You know," She dropped the fork, pushing the plate away from herself, "I really shouldn't eat this. I haven't..." Closing her eyes, forcing herself to swallow back any hint of sickness, "I'm not feeling too well."  
  
"Still?" Bobbie inquired in disbelief, her daughter chose to ignore her advice again. Throwing down the towel, she reached back to untie her apron, "That's it, you're going to get checked out."  
  
"No, hold on a second." Carly protested, holding up her hand to stopping Bobbie, "I went to the doctor already. I got a prescription. I just--need to go pick it up."  
  
"Well, what are you doing here? You should be at home resting."  
  
"I thought I was hungry."  
  
Sympathetically, Bobbie went around the counter to her side, assisting her out of her chair, "Are you okay to drive, Carly?"  
  
"I'm just sick, Mom, not drunk."  
  
"Funny." She huffed, checking Carly's eyes before releasing her, "I'll pick up Michael, okay? We'll get him something to eat, his homework done, and maybe he can bring you home some soup."  
  
Carly smiled brightly, thankfully despite the sick thought of chicken soup.  
  
~*~  
  
The prescription was bogus, a blatant lie, but Carly needed it to keep Bobbie from dragging her to General Hospital. Because if this was what she suspected...Carly needed to find out on her own.  
  
She needed to find out alone in order to decide her next move.  
  
_God, it can't be. It can't be._  
  
Carly took a deep breath, pulling the box out from her purse and looking towards the instructions once again. Holding it to her stomach, she patiently approached the bathroom.

Never, in a million years, did she think she would be taking another test like this.  
  
Especially to find out if she was carrying _Jason's_ child. 

AJ had only been gone a few months; Michael was testing her and Jason every chance they got; Carly thought she had been careful in her rendezvous meetings with Jason.

None of this made sense. It had to be a mistake. She was imagining times; her one surprise night with Jason could not have made this happen – no way.

His voice preceded the response for her answering machine, "Carly, I really need you to call me back when you get this...we need to talk."

“Mama!” 

“Um…” Seconds to go on her timer, Carly called out from behind the closed bathroom door, “I’m in here, Michael, give me just a minute!”

“Okay,” His voice was right outside the door, “I brought you home some soup.”

“Thank you, honey. I won’t be long.” His footsteps became distant before she faced the small white stick, finding the bright plus sign staring back at her. Stepping back into something solid, she slid down to a seat on the bathroom floor. Clutching the small testing stick in her hand, Carly's jaw dropped with a soft laugh.  
  
She thought the plan would come to her the moment she received her answer. But now that she knew, Carly doubted she would be able to think at all.

~*~

Of all the things she could do, this was probably the dumbest.

Carly waited for Emily to park, approaching her with a frown, as she stood outside her front door. It was Michael’s night with the Quartermaines, and it was one of the few opportunities she had to speak her man’s sister so _why the hell not?_

Carly cut off her path, smiling nervously – probably like an idiot, “Hi, Emily.”

“Hi,” She dragged the word out, crossing her arms over her chest, "What's going on, Carly?"  
  
“You came to me and said you knew about Jason and I. And—I’m sure you know Michael knows, and we’ve been trying to make this work.”

“Uh huh…” Emily grew more confused by the second, “What’s the problem? Is Michael acting out?”

“No. I mean, yes, but nothing we can’t handle.” Carly scratched her forehead, hoping something would become clearer in her speech, “Listen, no one knows what I’m about to tell you so I’m having a really tough time saying it.”

“Saying what?”

“I’ve been really sick lately, and—”

“Oh my God, are you okay? Is something wrong? Michael and Jason would not be able to—”

“I’m pregnant.” _There, I said it._ Carly waited a beat then added, "And Michael can't know about it because...I know he isn't ready to hear this."

“And Jason?”

“Doesn’t know yet.” Carly tucked her hair behind her ears, prepared to grovel, “You know Michael, and I know he isn’t ready to hear this. I know he cannot feel replaced, and he can tolerate Jason but…not much more.”

“Carly, while I appreciate you opening up like this, what were you expecting me to say?”

Carly shrugged, eyes full of tears, “I don’t know…maybe I was just hoping you had an idea of what I should do next.”

Emily spotted Michael through the window, getting ready to come out, and squeezed Carly’s bicep quickly, “I think you should tell Jason.”


End file.
